Commonly known as the “Chiang Kai Shek” rifle, this Chinese copy of the Mauser Standard Modell is one of the most produced and heavily used military rifles in history. Despite the millions made and their extreme service lives, many collectors take little notice of these guns in their research or collecting.

On rare occasion collectors have stumbled into shortened, WWI-vintage M1917 rifles without much explanation. We’ve since learned that these guns were part of aid sent to China during WWII and modified to fit their small-statured troops.

At the outbreak of WWII the Dutch armed forces were still more than equipped with WWI surplus rifles, but they had mechanized and changed and needed more carbines. As we’ve seen elsewhere, a simple and thrifty plan was put into place.

It wasn’t too long ago we covered the Finnish versions of the Mosin-Nagant M1891. Some of you might have noticed a variation missing, but in reality this marginally different gun is another model entirely.

Finland’s declaration of independence made an instant enemy of the massive Russian nation. Taking up left over imperial Mosin-Nagant rifles, they went to work refurbishing, repairing, and improving. These Model 1891’s were the most basic of their modifications.